Fallon got to the news right off the bat Wednesday, joking, "Hello! Welcome! This is 'Late Night With Jimmy Fallon' -- for now." He continues, "You guys probably heard the news -- I'm going to be taking over 'The Tonight Show' next February! But don't worry. Until February, our focus is right here on whatever this show is called."

Fallon then dropped the jokes, to offer gratitude to those that made the transition possible. "I want to thank everyone here at 'Late Night,' the staff, the crew and, of course,
The Roots," he says, "I have to say thanks to Jay Leno for being so gracious. It means so much to me to have his support. I just want to thank the fans for staying up to 12:35 a.m. and watching us."

According to
THR, the show's staff gathered after the taping to celebrate the day's news. With Fallon taking over, "The Tonight Show" is expected to relocate to New York, at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. NBC has yet to announce Fallon's replacement on "Late Night," but
Seth Meyers has been
reported as being a serious contender.